


The Last Full Measure of Devotion

by chaletian



Series: In Which The Enterprise Is Like A Village [19]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2013-07-02
Packaged: 2017-12-16 21:11:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/866646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaletian/pseuds/chaletian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I thought… on Delta Vega, I wasn’t what you were expecting. I wasn’t the captain, I wasn’t anyone, just a dumb kid, right?” He glanced up. “Four years ago I was sitting in Riverside town jail for being drunk and disorderly. I’m just saying… I’m not that guy.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Full Measure of Devotion

Jim had recognised the elder Spock’s figure in the upper gallery during the ceremony, and had slipped away from the congratulations and carefully veiled warnings.  
  
“Hey,” he said.  
  
“Jim,” Spock replied in kind.  
  
Jim scratched the back of his head, and looked off to one side. “So, you never said what happened to me. To him. Your Kirk.”  
  
“He died,” said Spock simply, and Jim nodded.  
  
“Yeah. Right. Of course.” He shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “How?”  
  
Spock raised an eyebrow. “Jim, our realities have now diverged considerably. There is no reason to suppose that your life will echo his.”  
  
“How’d I die, Spock?”  
  
“Making a difference,” said Spock. Jim nodded, as if it were the answer he was expecting. He turned away, hands braced against the gallery rail, and looked down at the admirals, the officers, the other cadets. He spoke without looking up.  
  
“I thought… on Delta Vega, I wasn’t what you were expecting. I wasn’t the captain, I wasn’t anyone, just a dumb kid, right?” He glanced up. “Four years ago I was sitting in Riverside town jail for being drunk and disorderly. I’m just saying… I’m not that guy.”  
  
Spock regarded him impassively. The faint remainders of Jim’s fight to defeat Nero still lingered on his face, and the pride he had shown down in the auditorium had drained away. “No,” he said. “And yet, here you are.”  
  
“I’m not ready for this.”  
  
“No-one is, at the beginning.”  
  
“I don’t know how to captain a crew.”  
  
An unexpected smile broke over Spock’s face, and he looked past Jim. “I do not think your crew would agree.”  
  
Jim followed his gaze to see Bones striding towards him.  
  
“There you are!” the CMO exclaimed irritably. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” He eyed Spock suspiciously. “So, I guess you’re the future Spock.”  
  
“As always, a pleasure, Doctor,” said Spock smoothly, and deliberately did not smile at the aggrieved sound McCoy made.  
  
“Yeah, well…”  
  
“What is it, Bones?” interrupted Jim. Bones’ expression turned martial.  
  
“Jim, you’ve gotta get that damned Winters off your ship! If I have to spend five years sealed up in some space-faring tin-can with him, one or other of us is going to have some kind of meltdown, and I’m not liking my odds! Do you know, he’s already tried to get me to inoculate him against Makusian flu, radiation poisoning and _smallpox_? The man’s deranged! Oh, yeah,” he added as an afterthought, jerking his thumb towards the auditorium, “Sulu and that kid Chekov were looking for you. Something to do with souping up the navigational array. I’ve no idea what they were jabbering on about.”  
  
Kirk glanced over the railing, and saw Sulu and Chekov looking up hopefully. He nodded at them, and Chekov gave him a thumbs up, before looking mortified, and hiding his hands behind his back. “Oh, and another thing,” carried on Bones, still not finished, “Scott wants to talk to you about repositioning the dilithium crystals or something, but Archer’s down in the hall, so he’s hiding out in a maintenance closet. I think---” he paused as a commotion broke out below, “--- yep, he sent Gaila as a diversion.”  
  
Bones headed for the stairs, looking back blankly when he realised Jim wasn’t following. “Well, c’mon,” he said irritably, “we don’t have all day, here! Archer’s about as old as they get; Gaila’s not gonna keep him occupied for long.” He continued down the stairs, grumbling audibly about how he managed to get mixed up in this tomfoolery, and Jim grinned helplessly, and glanced at Spock, pointing after Bones.  
  
“Guess I’ve got stuff to do,” he said.  
  
“Yes, you do, Captain,” said Spock. He held up his hand, fingers splayed. “Live long and prosper, Jim.”  
  
“You too,” said Jim.  
  
“Now, Jim!” Bones’ voice floated up, and Jim took the stairs two at a time as Spock watched him leave.  
  
“I believe you will do very well,” he said quietly, and resisted the urge to see just how Gaila had chosen to ‘distract’ Admiral Archer.


End file.
